The present invention relates to a so-called multi-axis laser machine in which a laser beam outputted from one laser oscillator is supplied to a plurality of machining heads, and the laser beam is positioned for each machining head to machine a subject to be machined, a method for machining with the laser machine, and a recording medium recording a computer program for controlling the laser machine.
For example, a two-axis laser machine in the background art having two machining heads is provided with two laser oscillators, and optical paths from the laser oscillators to a final subject to be machined are provided. In the two-axis laser machine configured thus, each axis can be controlled substantially independently. Thus, the efficiency in machining is approximately twice as high as that of a one-axis laser machine. However, the equipment cost and the maintenance cost are increased because the two laser oscillators are used.
There is another two-axis laser machine in which a laser beam outputted from one laser oscillator is made to branch into two optical paths by means of a half mirror. In the two-axis laser machine configured thus, the equipment cost can be reduced in comparison with the aforementioned one.
However, since the laser beams of the two optical paths are supplied concurrently, the operations of laser positioning units for the two optical paths have to be finished before the laser beams are supplied. That is, one optical path positioned earlier has to wait for the other optical path to be positioned. Therefore, it cannot be said that the machining efficiency is improved.
According to the invention disclosed in JP-A-2000-263271, therefore, a two-axis laser machine is designed so that a laser beam outputted from one laser oscillator is deflected in two directions with deflection devices (acousto-optic devices). In the two-axis laser machine configured thus, it is claimed that not only can the equipment unit cost be reduced, but the operating rate of the laser oscillator can be also improved.
However, in the invention disclosed in JP-A-2000-263271, it is assumed that all the optical paths have an equal laser positioning time and an equal laser output time.
Generally, in most cases, the machining position in one optical path differs from that in the other optical path. Therefore, the maximum value of the time required for positioning has to be set as the positioning time. Thus, it cannot be said that the working efficiency is improved.